


Klance Oneshots & Coffee

by CoffeeandKlance_AU



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, klance - Fandom
Genre: #alwaysahappyending, #klanceoneshots, #softangst, #stargazing, #wholesomeonshots, Alternate Universe, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Established Keith/Lance (Voltron), F/M, FemLance, Gen, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Fluff, M/M, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), bidisasterlance, comfortcharacters, firstmeeting, ikinkeithifyoucouldnttell, illupdatetagsasIwrite, keith is bad at feelings, klance, lance is trying his best, somuchpining, sourpatchkids, twodorks, voltrononeshots, wholesomeklance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeandKlance_AU/pseuds/CoffeeandKlance_AU
Summary: I have so many one-shot and short story ideas for these two dorks it's not even funny. Every chapter WILL have a happy ending because I am *sensitive* :)Check the beginning notes for any warnings and the prompts / explanations of AUs before reading the chapter.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	1. A Funny Feeling

**Author's Note:**

> How could I not start off this book stargazing and petty fighting?  
> Content: Fluff, Established Relationship, Earth

For the past five minutes Keith had stared at Lance, and the sharpshooter remained oblivious.

They snuck outside after a whirlwind dinner filled with introductions and warm hugs from the McClain family. Keith remembered all the stories Lance told about them before coming back to Earth, but being there and seeing everyone was an experience Keith wasn't prepared for.

Lance's mother, though one inch shorter than Keith, could intimidate anyone into eating more fricasé de pollo (cuban chicken stew) and frijoles negros (cuban-style black beans). Lance's older brother and sister quarrelled over anything and everything, often disrupting the dinner to reach over and screw with each others hair or steal food off one another's plate. And Keith had to admit - Lance's father was an even bigger goofball than Lance was.

The dinner would have been perfect if it weren't for the foreign, tight feeling in Keith's chest. He thought it might be nerves. Anyone would be nervous meeting their boyfriend's family for the first time. But it didn't go away, even after he stumbled over his words when Lance's mom looked at him with familiar big blue eyes, and it didn't go away after Lance proudly announced to everyone that they were dating. The light, otherworldliness that enveloped him stayed throughout the entirety of dinner. Keith tried to figure out what it could be, the conversations around him fading in and out. At one point Lance had held his hand under the table and showed him a big, toothy smile. _"Would you stop scowling? I will not have my boyfriend getting wrinkles before he's twenty-two."_

The dinner ended a little after ten. Keith helped clean up while Lance and his older sister fought over who had a better complexion. Before Keith could thank Lance's parents, his boyfriend excused them both and led Keith down the hallway next to their kitchen and into the last room on the left. Keith protested at first, and Lance shushed him as he clicked the door shut behind them. 

_"You did not just 'shh' me."_

_"You're good at being quiet any other time except when I need you to be."_

Keith did not have time to look around Lance's bedroom as his boyfriend slid open the window and beckoned him to climb out.

Now here they were, laying on top of Lance's barely-functioning car, stargazing. 

And Keith _still_ had that feeling. 

It bugged him. It nagged at his lungs, making it a little difficult to breathe, and it had his stomach tied in a knot. Confusion took hold, because even though this emotion caused discomfort, it wasn't _bad_. Keith's mind scattered; a disoriented shamble of trying to piece together whatever this was. Was he sick? Did he not drink enough water? In the moment where his thoughts raced and fear crept in the back of his head, he turned to Lance. 

And it hit him. The universe tilted. Under the light of a thousand stars and lying beside the one person he trusted the most, Keith understood what he felt was disbelief. 

Disbelief in the fact they were here. Disbelief that he met a family he may be able to call his in the future. Disbelief that he got the chance to work with a powerful team and his closest friends. Disbelief that he lived his whole life thinking there wouldn't be a happy ending for him, and here it was, still staring at the sky with no awareness to his gaze. 

Everything looked the same, yet everything had changed, and radically so. Keith's heart hammered. A shock of terror and liberating happiness shot up his spine. He was astonished that the Earth wasn't breaking beneath them, nor the stars fallen from the sky. For so long, Keith had counted on the world remaining the same. The days would blur together, and he would be another whisper among others who would one day disappear. And now the future looked so unsure. 

"Lance." 

Keith hadn't meant to say his name out loud. He had been content staring at his boyfriend's side profile. At the gentle curves of his high cheekbones, the long lashes that curled at the ends, and the small smile on his cupid-shaped lips. 

And now he was looking at him. 

"Keith?" Lance's brows furrowed. "Are you okay? Did mom feed you too much? I told her to hold off on the beans -"

"Lance," Keith whispered again. "I know i'm not good at expressing myself, but you need to know that I..." Words fumbled. What he wanted to say got caught in his throat, and despite wanting to do nothing more than shout them to the world, he struggled to speak.

Lance propped himself up on his elbow. "What is it?"

Keith froze. Above him, with a halo of moonlight around him and the backdrop of the infamous universe, Lance appeared ethereal. Godly. An entity Keith shouldn't be able to call his, but he _can_. And he needed to.

"Keith, buddy, darling, babe, you're kind of scaring me." Lance gave him a lopsided smile, concern in his eyes. 

"Sorry, sorry. I just -" _Spit it out. Say it._ "Lance, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me." 

Lance let out a soft laugh. "Jeez, way to give a guy a heart attack. But you mean the world to me too, Keith."

"No, you don't understand." Keith cupped Lance's face, his thumb brushed against his cheek. "You don't know how _much_ you mean to me, Lance. You could never know. Even as I tell you now, your existence has changed my life in ways I didn't think possible. In the beginning, before I met you, I didn't expect much for myself. I was mean, stubborn, a hardass. No one wanted to know me, and I did not try to open up. And then you came in and changed all of it. You challenged me, helped me grow and reach out to others. You don't know how amazing you are. How proud of you I am. How much I want the world to know your mine, but i'm scared that once I do the world will take you away, because I was probably the last person who deserved you.'

"Hey, that's not true -"

"And that is why, right now, I want to tell you that I won't let you go." Keith rested his forehead against Lance's, his breath shaking. "The universe can try what it wants to. But here, in this moment of time and every second after, you are mine and I...I think I have fallen in love with you, Lance."

Lance's eyes widened. His hand squeezed Keith's. The soft sound of crickets and the rustle of leaves from the wind cut through the otherwise silent night. 

Keith's face warmed. He had never said the words aloud before. Even after dating for so long, he had been afraid to say them. And now he was terrified at the lack of response.

"Lance, buddy, darling, babe," Keith tried a smile, but it felt strained. "You're kind of scaring me."

"How could you - I - you just..." Lance stumbled over his words, and in the end decided to throw himself on top of Keith, his arms wounding around the shorter's waist and his face snuggled into his neck. 

Keith laughed, his fingers playing with the end's of his sharpshooter's hair. "That reaction works too."

"You said it so unexpectedly - what did you think I was going to do?" Lance huffed and lifted his face from Keith's neck.

"Say you want to spend forever with me too?" Keith suggested. 

Lance leaned in. A warmth blossomed in Keith's chest as their lips brushed together. 

"How about forever and a day?"

"Perfect."

Above them, a thousand stars and celestial constellations known and unknown, real and imagined, glittered. 


	2. Sour Patch Kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you fight someone for candy?  
> Content: First Meeting, Long Distance, Alternate Universe

"Why do you look like you're going to kill someone?" Shiro nudged Keith's arm with his own. Keith gave him a side glare, then focused back on the only empty space on the candy shelf. 

"There's no more sour patch kids." Keith had been looking forward to them all day. He meant to stop by the gas station earlier and grab some before his senior final exam, but he slept through his alarm and barely got to school on time. Well, he actually wouldn't have made it on time if Shiro hadn't sped through a neighbourhood and run a very, very close yellow light. It's not illegal if they don't get caught, right?

"How devastating. Just get some of the sour skittles, you like those."

"But I wanted sour patch kids."

"They don't have any. If you want, there's a small grocery store -"

Keith caught sight of a yellow and green bag pass by at the end of the aisle. He turned and took long strides to the end, leaving Shiro talking to himself. Keith rounded the end and stood face-to-back with a tall, thin brunette. He glanced at both of his hands, but the boys arms were up and he couldn't see. Before Keith could get his attention the boy whirled around and smacked him upside the head. 

"Christ -" Keith stumbled backwards. His ears rung, and he closed his eyes to help the throb erupting at his temple. 

"Oh my gosh - oh no. What do I do? That hurt - dude, do you have a head of steel? My hand - wait, no, are you okay?" 

Keith blinked, his vision blurred for a few moments, before his eyes focused on the boy who hit him. The one the cradled a hand to his chest, and frantically motioned over Keith with the other. Keith stood there and blinked. His mouth parted, but the words got caught in his throat. 

This boy had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.

A flash of yellow and red came from behind the assaulter.

Keith grit his teeth. So this guy _did_ take his sour patch kids. 

"Hey, are you okay? Say something. Wait, can you speak? Are you deaf?"

Keith wanted to say something about the candy, but the moment he looked back at the assaulter, his mind blanked. The tanned boy wore a simple pair of jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt that revealed a tiny tattoo on his inner forearm, and Keith trailed his gaze down to his hand that hovered over his shoulder, unsure whether to touch him. 

"I...I don't -"

"Oh no. I hit you so hard you can't hear anymore." The blood drained from the guy's face. "I'm too young to go to jail," he whispered.

"I can hear just fine," Keith said. 

The guy sighed in relief. "Thank the stars. I really thought I would have to go to court. Or stay in jail overnight. Do you think they would have let me take my skin care in there?" 

Keith did a double take. What was this guy on? But he had to admit, his face _was_ really smooth looking. "I mean...probably not."

"That's awful," the guy pouted for a second. "Anyway, sorry for hitting you. I meant to show my friend something. Why were you so close anyway?" The guy did a slow once over of him, and Keith hated how his face warmed. "Not that I mind. The name's Lance, by the way." 

"I wanted to..." Keith floundered. What was up with him? Did this guy - Lance, hit him that hard? He spotted the bag of candy sat on the shelf behind Lance again, next to a few other things he guessed the brunette was holding. 

"Lance! They have it!"

"Keith, are you over here?"

Both boys turned as Shiro peeked behind the end of the aisle Keith left him at, and another boy came from the other side of the store. 

"Hey Hunk." Lance waved. "I got all of our stuff, you good to go?"

"They had it! The Bake-Even strips for the cakes! I've been looking all over for these." Keith moved out of the way as the other guy, Hunk, walked over. "Is this someone you know?" Hunk smiled at Keith, his hand reaching out to shake. 

"No, we met two minutes ago when he hit me," Keith said. He regretted it instantly as Hunk put his hands on his hips and Lance sputtered.

Shiro took a step forward and furrowed his brows. "Keith, are you okay?"

" _Lance -"_

"It was an accident!" Lance held up his hands in surrender. "How was I supposed to know you were that close behind me?"

"Normally people don't go throwing their arms out when they turn," Keith said. _God, shut up,_ he thought. The last thing he wanted to do was taunt the boy. Especially when he stilled needed to ask for his candy back.

Lance crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. "Well sorry, mullet-head, maybe next time you shouldn't get so close to strangers. What were you doing, anyway? Sniffing my hair or something?"

Keith raised his eyebrow. "Why would I be sniffing your hair?"

"I did just get a new shampoo," Lance said, his defensive stance slackening. "It's supposed to smell like sea salt."

"You wanted your hair to smell like a chip flavour?"

"The _ocean."_ Lance rolled his eyes. "Maybe I hit you harder than I thought."

"Well, anyway, nice to meet you," Hunk stepped in beside Lance and pinched the bottom the the boys shirt. Though the guy was built like a football line backer, his hunched shoulders and the nervousness on his face took away any intimidation. "But we really have to get going. Some people are waiting for us outside."

"We also have to get going, Keith," Shiro said. "We're supposed to meet everyone at home before going out to celebrate."

"Wait, I still haven't gotten the candy," Keith said.

"You have plenty to choose from, just pick one and - oh." Shiro also caught sight of the sour patch kids bag Lance now held. "Really, Keith?"

Lance followed his gaze and realization dawned. "You wanted the sour patch kids?"

"I didn't expect to get hit for them, but yeah."

"Well you got hit for nothing, man. These babies are mine," Lance hugged them to his chest, along with the can of Starbucks double espresso and a Pringles can. 

Keith glowered. The thought of reaching over and snatching the candies crossed his mind. 

"Come on, Keith. There's a lot of other stuff, stop being picky."

Keith let himself be dragged by Shiro away from a relieved looking Hunk and a mumbling Lance: 

"Who did that guy think he was? Not even that cute, with his freaking mullet. Who has a mullet these days? Apparently jerks do."

Shiro had to restrain Keith from going back and telling Lance that at least he didn't want hair smelling like a chip flavour. _He wasn't that cute either,_ Keith thought. The curled ends of Lance's brunette hair and the stunning white teeth flashed in his mind. _Not even a little._

In the end, Keith picked two bags of sour skittles. Lance and Hunk had paid and left before they got to the counter, but when they had, the cashier slid over a red and yellow candy bag.

Keith blinked. 

"The two boys before you left paid for it already," the cashier sighed. He looked anything but interested. "The small one told me to tell you it was only because he is, and I quote, "A nice human being who felt bad for a guy who still thinks it's cool to have a mullet"." The cashier pressed a few buttons and held out a hand, face impassive. "Seven dollars and eighty three cents."

Keith took the bag, his mind racing. Shiro shrugged. "Maybe he did feel bad for hitting you."

And instead of going home and celebrating his high school graduation, Keith spent the night scrolling through Instagram and Twitter trying to find an account belonging to a certain blue-eyed boy.

~ 

Keith found Lance's profile the next morning, and he was not happy about it. At all.

The boy lived in Cuba, and according to his posts, he was only here to visit friends and planned on catching a plane back home this afternoon.

"Damn." Keith fell back on his bed, disappointment nagging in the back of his head. What had he hoped for? That Lance was some guy who lived local? That maybe, if he followed him, commented on his posts, tried to DM him, that they could become friends? He didn't understand why he wanted to be friends with Lance anyway. After meeting the guy, it seemed like all they would do was fight. 

_But he gave me his sour patch kids._ Keith sat up again and scrolled through Lance's Instagram profile. He stopped on one where Lance did a Charlie's Angels pose with two other friends. One Keith recognized as the guy with him last night, Hunk. The other was a short girl with big round glasses and a...less than innocent smile on her face.

That had to have meant Lance wanted to start anew, right? Would he think it weird if Keith followed him? Lance had a lot of followers anyway, Keith could chance it and hope not to get noticed. But that's just it - he _wanted_ to get noticed. He wanted to reach out to him and try to talk with him like a civil person.

Keith passed a picture and paused. The little tattoo showed clearly in this one, and Keith squinted. He hadn't recognized it before, but the little symbol was the Leo star sign. 

_Was Lance into astrology?_ Keith snorted out loud to himself. Of course he would be, why else would he have that tattoo? 

He sighed. Closed the app. Then opened it a few seconds later. Would Lance ignore him? Block him? Even if they did end up becoming friends, they would be thousands of miles apart. Sure, Lance had friends here already, but Keith didn't know their history. 

He chewed his lip, finger over the _Follow_ button. 

"Hey, honey."

The door to his bedroom opened, and Keith jolted. When he looked down, a black _Followed_ square replaced the bright blue one from a second ago. 

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," His mom smiled at him from the doorway. "Just wanted to let you know your father and I are headed out for a bit. Text us if you need anything."

"Yeah, okay, thanks mom." Keith stared back down at the screen as his mother left.

Well. There was nothing to do about it now. 

_Jeez,_ Keith ran a hand through his hair and turned off his phone. He knew if he didn't, he would check it every five seconds. _All of this over a pack of sour patch kids._

~

The next time Keith looked at his phone was after dinner. He kept himself busy and forgot about the incident once lunch rolled around. He didn't even remember when he turned on his phone. He had meant to text Shiro, but the thought left as an Instagram notification popped up.

_You have one new follower: The.Best.Sharpshooter_

Keith had never opened the app so fast in his life. Truth be told, after refreshing his page twice, Lance had followed him back. And better yet, he had already DMed him. 

Cautious hope squeezed his lungs as he opened the message

_The.Best.Sharpshooter: Hey, is this mullet-head from the gas station last night? Keith? Keef?_ _Sour Patch Kid stealer?_

A smile crept on Keith's face.

_Keith.Kogane: If I remember right, you gave me those sour patch kids. And what the heck is a sharpshooter?_

Lance hadn't been online when Keith texted back, but five minutes later Keith's phone vibrated. 

_The.Best.Sharpshooter: Someone who is highly accurate at "hooting their shot._

_Keith.Kogane: Is that what this is? I believe i'm the one who followed you._

_The.Best.Sharpshooter: Don't even try, Keef. I messaged first._

Keith rolled his eyes, a sudden joy blooming in him. The worry about if this was a good idea melted away. Keith had checked earlier, and Cuba's time zone was only one hour behind. Long distance was hard, especially when the first - and only - meeting they had in their life was a petty argument at an old gas station - but Keith was determined to make this work.

He set his phone down on his desk next to the unopened bag of sour patch kids, and chuckled.


	3. Just A Little Scratch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short and sweet with a pinch of an over worried (read: protective) Keith.  
> (Acere = buddy/friend in Cuban spanish).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content: Fluff and Injuries  
> Warning for mention of blood/wounds, and some cursing.

"Sometimes I wonder if I can handle you, Keith, but now there's two of you and I couldn't be happier, honestly."

"You are bleeding out! Stop flirting, dumbass!" Keith wiped away the sweat from Lance's forehead and swung the paladin's limp arm over his shoulder as they entered their ship.

"I'm fine, _acere_ , it's just a little scratch." 

It was _not_ a little scratch.

Keith cursed as blood slickened his grip on Lance's waist. He struggled to carry himself and Lance to the medic room. It would have been easier if he didn't have to carry their weapons or wear a twenty pound suit of armour.

"Come on, sit here. Don't move." Keith helped Lance to sit on one of the operating chairs. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but once his sharpshooter had relaxed back in the seat, Keith gave him a full overview. A large hole ripped through the black material around his abdomen, and fresh blood oozed from the large cut under his ribs. Little dents spotted along the rest of his suit, especially the helmet, indicated gun shots and sword hits. And though Lance had worn a helmet, he somehow got a scratch mark on his left cheekbone, and the bridge of his nose was turning an ugly shade of purple. The sight made Keith's gut twist.

He turned away as Lance closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in pain. Keith searched through every drawer and cabinet in the room, pulling out gauze, a cauteriser, ice, and pain medications. He bagged the ice and instructed Lance to hold it to his nose while he plugged in the cauteriser and waited for it to finish heating.

"Keith, i'll be okay. You should be fighting -"

"Shiro told me they had it covered. I still have my ear piece in," Keith dismissed. "If they need help, they'll call. The fight's almost over anyway. We came prepared."

Lance frowned, but didn't say anything else and flinched when Keith pressed a damp cloth to his wound. The red paladin guessed his hold on Lance earlier did make the wound look worse than it really was; after wiping away most of the blood, the cut was around a hand length long and thin. Despite that, it still looked nasty and blood leaked out.

Keith saw how Lance got hurt. He'd been ten steps away, fighting off two of the enemy and doing a good job at it. Keith had taken his eyes off him for a few seconds to land a punch directly in a Galra's face. The satisfaction of hearing a crunch under his knuckles left when he turned back around and blood sprayed across his uniform. The slice of the sword happened fast, and Lance was shoved on the ground. A faint cry could be heard, and one of his hands pressed against his waist while the other clutched at the enemies wrist to prevent a blade from sinking into his throat. Keith had shot the Galra, kicked the limp body off Lance, and saw the blood pulsing out from under Lance's hand. He swore he never felt as much fear as he did then.

Keith bit his tongue when the cauteriser beeped, and a copper taste filled his mouth. He cursed again, this time at the pain and at himself for not helping Lance when he saw the blue paladin being cornered by two.

"It's going to sting." But Lance already knew that, and he braced himself as Keith took the cauteriser and gently pressed it to the long mark along Lance's ribs. The sharpshooter's knuckles whitened on the chair's arms, and he let out a breath after Keith took off the machine and put it off to the side.

"I'm sorry." The apology came out so softly, Keith thought he might have imagined it. "I'm sorry," Lance cleared his throat. His eyes were half lidded, the ugly overhead light causing a faint glimmer in them. He looked absolutely exhausted. Dark bags circled under his eyes, and his cheeks were sunken in. A completely different Lance than compared to this morning. "I should have been better. I caused you to worry, and now you're not fighting - _ouch_."

Keith had wrapped gauze around Lance's midsection and shook his head. "Shut up. You did nothing wrong."

"I need to step up my training. I can't keep worrying you guys every time we go to battle."

"You have been working your ass off for weeks, Lance. We train almost everyday. Sometimes twice a day. You are doing the best you can." Keith patted the gauze, making sure it would stay in place. He then filled a small paper cut and filled it with water. "Here's some pain killers."

Lance set down the ice and downed the two pills. "Still. I need to be better than this. I can't be saving the universe if I get injured so easily."

Keith leaned against the chair and swept Lance's matted bangs off his forehead. "You're too hard on yourself."

"And you worry about me too much."

"I have a right to be as your boyfriend. It came in the subscription."

"Subscription -" Lance laughed, then winced.

"Hey, take it easy. You're not going to be doing anything physical for the next day or two. Not until that wound's healed."

"Like hell i'm just going to sit around," Lance scoffed.

Keith bit his lip and brushed his fingertips along the bandage. "I was terrified when I saw you get hit. I'm not joking when I say my heart stopped for a second," he murmured. "I didn't know how far it sunk from where I was, but the thought of you getting hurt beyond what I could fix..." The words failed to make it out of his throat. If the cut was deeper - if the blade had sunk in past his ribs and pierced Lance's heart - Keith wouldn't know what he'd do. Scream? Cry? Go an a rampage and kill every Galra he set his gaze on? Or would he fall to his knees next to the Blue Paladin and feel the life seep from him? He didn't know. He didn't want to know, because he wouldn't ever let that happen to Lance.

"You worry too much about me."

"You don't worry about yourself enough."

Their hands found each other, and Keith resisted tightening his grip. He held Lance's hand tenderly, but no force could ever make him let go. Keith hesitated, physical affection never his strong suit, before he leaned forward and kissed Lance's forehead. "You're the most reckless man I know."

"You love it, though."

 _Yeah_ , Keith thought, _I do._


	4. Keith, Buddy, Want to Go on a Date With Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bi-disaster Lance can not stop thinking about the quiet boy in art class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content: Fluff, Social Anxiety Keith, High school AU.

Lance didn't know what it was about Keith that drew his attention.

The guy never spoke, not even when they sat next to each other in art class and lunch. If it hadn't been for their same taste in friends, Lance was sure Keith wouldn't have chosen to sit near him at all. Every time Lance tried to get his attention, Keith blatantly ignored him or excused himself out of the room. Lance thought it was rude at first - that Keith felt himself too good to hang out with Lance. But after observing the smaller boy for half of their junior year in high school, Lance didn't think that was it at all.

Keith had a habit of never socially involving himself with them. Of course he was always included to outside of school hangouts and gave commentary when asked, but he stayed quiet more times than not. And the attention never lasted on him for more than a few seconds. As soon as Keith said what he wanted to, the group would acknowledge it and move on. Keith's actions might be considered rude if it wasn't for the way his hands shook, or the soft way his voice sounded when he did speak. How the tips of his ears would turn red if eyes stayed on him for too long, and how he avoided everyone's gaze like his life depended on it.

Keith was painfully shy. Or he had social anxiety. Lance didn't know, and he didn't think of himself as a close enough friend to ask him about it. He thought he heard Shiro and Pidge talking about it one time in the hallway, but they never addressed who they were talking about so he couldn't be sure.

_"Do you think it's helping?"_

_"There's some progress. Not much, but it's there,"_ Shiro had said.

_"Imagine how he'll act in college if he can't get past this."_ Pidge shook her head. _"He needs to open up more. I know it's hard for him, but it'll only get harder the older we get."_

Lance had let the conversation sit in his mind for a week. A whole, quiznaking _week_. It was ridiculous, honestly. Lance flipped the conversation over and over in his mind, and no matter what he did to distract himself, it always came back.

In the middle of homework - _What's helping him? Is he taking medication? Therapy?_

Eating dinner - _How can Lance be sure that they were even talking about Keith? Why did he care so much anyway?_

During art class - _What's Keith's issue? He thinks he can just ignore whoever he wants and get a free-pass?_ Lance had squinted at the shorter boy from the corner of his eye. _And when did he get so pretty?_

Wait what.

Lance froze in his seat. The paint brush in his hand jerked, and some of the dark blue paint on the end accidentally got on the table.

_I did not just think that,_ Lance thought to himself. _I did not. There is no proof. Pretty? Hardly. Who can pull off a mullet these days anyway? Keith looks -_

"Um...here."

Lance blinked at the pale hand in front of him. Black painted fingernails glittered under the art room lights. A napkin was held between two fingers.

"What?"

Keith cleared his throat as Lance looked up at him. The boy's face became a soft hue of pink, and his dark eyes flickered everywhere except Lance. His bottom lip trembled for a moment, words as quiet as his breath snaking through. "You, uh, you got some paint...on the table."

_Beautiful_.

Lance's heart stuttered. He took the napkin from Keith's hand, but continued to stare at his flustered face and the way black strands of hair fell forward to cover his eyes. A thin scar trailed from the underside of his chin up to the middle of his cheek.

"Thanks," Lance said. He wanted to say more. So much more. He wanted to ask questions and know more about this quiet boy who sat next to him in art class, but seemed so far away. Before Lance had the chance to say anything else, Keith nodded and turned back to his art piece on the table. Though this was a mainly paint-focused art class, Keith only ever used charcoal with his work. The teacher didn't seem to care, though Lance noticed she would mark off a percentage of points from Keith's work every time, even if the finished product was flawless. And most of the time, it was. Lance had taken peeks at Keith's artwork all semester, and was blown away each time. He didn't know how long Keith had been into art, but every piece came out better than the last. It certainly made Lance feel a little lackluster in the art field; he was sure Keith would score better than his mediocre art work every time if he use the right materials.

"Would you teach me how to use charcoal?" The question came out of Lance's mouth faster than he realized. He wanted to hide as soon as he asked. After all this time, and the only thing he could come up with is charcoal? Art class lessons?

Keith's shoulders tensed. His lips did the small quiver again as his eyes grew big. Lance bit his lip, afraid he overstepped. Why would Keith want to teach him? Lance hadn't made a good impression on him throughout their time together anyway. When he first thought Keith was rude, Lance had done everything in his power to avoid or exclude him from the group. He didn't ask him questions, or listen when others did. But he had stopped doing that a while ago, once he somewhat figured Keith out. And now Lance hoped Keith didn't remember what a brat he'd been.

"Sorry, I just - you're artwork is really good. I tried to use charcoal once, but it didn't turn out like I wanted it to." It was a complete disaster, actually. Lance's hands and clothes had been stained for weeks with charcoal. He tried to recreate the night sky, but it end up looking like a dark blob that took up the whole paper.

"Sure."

The answer surprised both of them. Keith looked momentarily mortified. Lance stopped breathing. "I -" Keith cut himself off and took a minute. Lance didn't dare interrupt. "Did you mean during class? Or were you meaning...like outside?"

How would Lance know? He didn't think he'd get this far.

_We can make it a date -_ NO! Oh no, no no. That's way too much. Too fast. If Lance wanted to be Keith's friend, he needed to start slow.

"Either way works for me," Lance settled on saying. "Whatever makes you more comfortable." _That sounded okay, right? He knows i'm considering his feelings. I gave him an option - CHEESUS STOP OVERTHINKING IT._

"We can meet after school in the library, if you want?" The words took sometime to get out. "There's an art section in the back of the library..."

"Perfect!" Lance flinched at how loud he was, and his face warmed at the looks he got from others. "Does tomorrow after school work?"

Keith nodded, and the bell rung.

Lance had a skip in his step for the rest of the day.

~

Things had gone...considerably well. In Lance's opinion, at least.

They ended up meeting three times a week to work on charcoal. Keith had his own set of charcoal he brought from home, and Lance rented out some from the art room. They worked on whatever Lance thought of that day, the subject of the art pieces frequently being something related to space. At first the sessions were painfully quiet and awkward. Lance acted as a bi-disaster that forgot how words worked, and Keith, well...he was Keith. Quiet, gentle with words, and only helped Lance with the direction of charcoal strokes and soft praises.

Lance adored it. He grew to love Keith's voice, and glowed whenever Keith told him he was doing well. The admiration to hear more of Keith grew, and it helped him finally be able to talk and ask Keith questions. Easy ones at first - how did you get into charcoal? What's your favorite color? - and Lance stored every answer in his mind like a fragile gift. Keith's older brother had introduced him to charcoal when he was ten, and his favorite color was red.

What excited Lance the most about their meetings was the development of Keith's talking. At first, answers were short, stuttered, or came in yes/no shakes of his head. Lance liked the way Keith's hair moved when he shook his head. He hated to admit it, but the stupid mullet had grown on him. Their friends noticed their growing relationship too. Shiro caught them in the library one time and sat with them for a half an hour before leaving with a smile. Hunk asked Lance about it quite often, usually with a knowing smile on his face and an expected look in his eye. Pidge also gave him a raised eyebrow whenever Lance greeted Keith with a little too much enthusiasm at lunch and in the halls. Lance denied anything his friends brought up about catching feelings. Was Lance falling for the quiet boy he meet for art lessons? Heck yeah he was. Would he ever admit it to his friends? Over his dead body.

But it was only a certain amount of time before the question slipped.

"Keith, buddy, would you like to go on a date with me?"

_Oh my god. Oh my god. Ohmygodohmygod - BUDDY?_ Lance internally died on the spot. He dropped the charcoal he was holding and pinched the bridge of his nose. Buddy. He honest to cheesus said _buddy_. And the formality? "Would you like to go -" who even said that? Apparently Lance did. And he hated himself for it. 

Keith had gone quiet. He had been humming a song for the past ten minutes - a little habit Lance picked up on after two months of meeting each other - but now the atmosphere was thick with silence and the aura of Lance's bi-panic.

_It's okay if you say no_ , Lance thought and tilted his head up at the ceiling, _I honestly would too._

A soft laugh disrupted the silence. Lance's gaze snapped towards Keith. He had never heard him laugh before. Never saw the way Keith's eyes lit up or how his nose scrunched. His teeth were a little crooked, and the curve of his lips brought a dimple on his left cheek. How could this one man be so gorgeous?

"I would love to," Keith laughed again, "Buddy."

Lance knew he would never live that down. Nor would he ever get over knowing he had two big, black fingerprint marks on the bridge of his nose that he only found out about once he got home and saw in the bathroom mirror. 


	5. A Pipe Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short one on the dreams of Lance and Keith - I thought the idea was cute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content: Fluff, Wholesome, AU. They're around 15 years old.

Their hushed whispers could hardly be contained under the blanket.

"I'll be a zoologist! Imagine all the cool animals I could work with and teach. It'd be like living in the jungle!" Lance smiled wide, the light from his little toy lamp glinting off his braces.

When Lance had first brought out the lamp from beneath his bed, Keith didn't ask why Lance kept it for so long. The thing must've been five years old. But now, between their whispered conversation and pajamas on, they may as well be twelve years old again. 

"And i'll be a photographer," Keith said, "So I can take pictures of you and the animals together and we can show everyone how great of a zoo keeper you are."

Lance chuckled and grabbed his fluffy-sock covered toes in excitement. "You really think so? You think i'd be able to go all over the world then? Everyone would want me to work at their zoo."

Keith offered a small smile. Being trapped under the blanket for so long had him sweating, but he wouldn't ruin this moment by asking to take it off. He was happy in the little bubble they created. Just him and Lance, hiding under his baby blanket and pretending the rest of the world didn't matter. And it didn't, not in that period of time. "I know so."

Lance tapped his chin, near the small scratch he got early today by falling face-first on the ground. Keith tried to warn him that the backyard was slick with mud, but when Lance had seen one of the biggest hawks sitting on the back fence, he booked it. 

And fell promptly in a puddle. 

"What if I become a doctor instead?" Lance mused. "I'll be so great I can save lives with one touch."

"You'd save a dying angel just by looking at them."

The bed was soft under Keith's fingers. His hair was getting fuzzy rubbing against the blanket as he shifted closer to Lance, their knees touching.

"What if I was a dog sitter?"

"I bet every dog would love you."

"What if I became a lawyer?"

"You'd get calls from Japan asking for your help."

"What if I fail to be anything at all?"

"Impossible," Keith let out a soft laugh. With Lance's face so close, big blue eyes anxiously staring at him, a comforting warmth spread in Keith's chest.

"How's that impossible?" Stars danced in Lance's eyes.

"Because you're already everything to me."

And that's when Keith started to hopelessly fall in love for the first time.


End file.
